Sermon (video): "The Four Points"

In 1904-1905, God used a man named Evan Roberts in an incredible way to preach a sermon (that came to be called "The Four Points) to spread the fires of revival. Within 6 months, over 100,000 people were saved!

This sermon does not seek to 're-preach' that sermon. It does, however, highlight the 4 main points that Evan Roberts addressed with a desire that the sparks of revival could once again be fanned into a fiery flame that would draw people to God once again.

Sermon (video): "How to Defeat Sexual Temptation" (Genesis 39:1-21)

The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife is a well-known story among Christian's and non-Christians alike. However, God did not simply put that story into the Bible to satisfy our desire for narrative. If we look closely enough, we can see at least 5 action steps that we can take to defeat sexual temptation.

A woman's eyes and a ferocious dog

This morning, I went out for a run and was reminded that a woman's eyes testify to the fact that we live in a broken world.

 

Now that may sound strange until you think about it. My run this morning took place before sunrise. The only light was from the few oncoming cars and the streetlights. I only saw 3 or 4 other folks out on their walks / runs. (You don't realize how desolate a city can be until you go out on a very early morning run.)

 

One of the few folks I saw was a lady out on her run. Typically, runners acknowledge each other. We're a group of folks with a common love for the sport of running so we often feel a kinship with each other ... unless it's a woman who runs into a man she doesn't know early in the morning on a quiet, dark road.

 

As she approached me (we were headed in opposite directions), I looked briefly at her to wave and give a friendly "Good morning." Yet, she did what most women do in that situation ... she refused to look at me. Why? Because (more than likely) she was concerned that I was a man who she didn't know. She assumed that as a man, I was stronger than her. She was also mindful that people who are strong often abuse that strength to hurt others. So, rather than take the chance, she must have felt it was safer for her to simply pass by me without acknowledging my presence.

 

Simply put, strength can be a very frightening thing when it is wielded by someone who cares more for themselves than serving others. It is especially frightening when strength is enjoyed by someone who finds pleasure in hurting others.

 

It is in this way that we are to understand Israel's concern regarding the nuclear talks with Iran. Iran is a brutish nation. Over and over, their leaders have proclaimed their desire to destroy Israel. They have made it clear that they hate Israel and will not stop until it is annihilated.

 

So, Iran's 'heart' is clear. Given the opportunity and power, no one should be shocked if Iran acts on their threats and tries to bring severe harm to Israel. All they lack is the appropriate strength / power to act.

 

Well, enter the U.S. leadership. Our government officials are in talks about providing Iran with the ability to pursue nuclear "strength" for energy purposes (does ANYONE actually believe that is Iran's purpose?!). 

 

So, a brute nation with a heart bent on hurting Israel is in talks with America about developing their strength. Can anyone blame Israel for being concerned? Can anyone blame Israel for doing whatever it can to find out what is going on (including spying) especially since they were not invited to be a part of the 'negotiations?'

 

Oh, one more thing about the female runner this morning ... she had a leash on her right hand and left hand. At the end of each leash were some dogs that looked like they were prepared to tear into anyone who threatened the welfare of their master. If someone sought to harm her, all she would have to say is, "Sic 'em."


With Iran's sadistic heart set on genocide and with her potential to become stronger, I find myself wishing that Israel would "sic 'em."

WBC Marriage Retreat 2015 in photos

Westside Baptist Church hosted a marriage retreat on March 21, 2015. Here are some pictures that highlight the day's events.

This is the schedule of how the day played out.
There were great lectures, hilarious skits, delicious food,
and so much more!

The Welcome Center

These are the door prizes that were handed out. Had a lot of fun with this!

Attendees were asked to submit a picture of their wedding day.
Here are some attendees enjoying the pictures.

Here's Michael and Lesley Herndon getting their picture taken at the 'photo booth.'

Matt and Kim's photo booth picture.

Gary and Linda Wallis (along with some other volunteers) did an incredible job with the skits!!!

Steve and Candice Watters speaking during the second marriage session.

Couples bowing in prayer during the first marriage retreat seminar.

At the conclusion of our time together, married couples prayed together for their marriages.

Steve & Candice Watters with Matt & Kim Ellis

Reflections on Luke 4:42-44

In my Bible reading this morning, I came across a passage that seemed to jump out at me. It's as if God were saying: "Slow down here. These verses have many powerful principles that can help you grow. See how many you can get out of them."

So, here goes...

Luke 4:42-44 (NLT)

"Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. But he replied, 'I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.' So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea."

1. Jesus didn't stay in bed long after other people got their day started, at least on this morning. He rose early (possibly long before sunrise).
2. He recognized the benefit of solitude. He went to a place where he could be alone. Possibly He spent that time in reflection and prayer.
3. Often, what we need and what we get will be two different things. Jesus needed time alone but the people wouldn't give it to Him.
4. God does not often speak through the masses. The crowd "begged" Him to stay with them. Yet, Jesus' response makes it clear that He did not believe they were speaking for God.
5. If we were to speculate on the motives of the crowd, we may come to assume that they were selfishly motivated. They wanted Jesus to stay not because of who He was but because of what He could do for them. Humanity has not changed.
6. Jesus didn't mind telling the people that He could not meet their expectations. They wanted Him to stay but He had a mandate that wouldn't allow Him to comply with their wishes. So, His answer to them was "No."
7. Jesus was about the business of evangelism. He realized that the Gospel was Good News (that mankind can be forgiven and brought into relationship with God) and people needed to hear it. So, he was going to travel to where the people where to tell them about that news. This was why He came to earth.
8. He met the people in their places of worship and throughout the region. This means that He showed up to places of worship to explain how the folks got it wrong.

Enjoying God - what God always intended

Enjoying God has always been the goal of those who followed Him throughout history.

In fact, God made the redeemed human heart to crave what the Greatest Commandment demands in Matthew 22:37-38 (NLT). 37) "Jesus replied, 'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38) This is the first and greatest commandment."

Following Jesus was never intended to be a lifeless religion that just gets tacked onto everything else we do in life. Instead, it was made to satisfy our deepest longings. Those who have experienced God have discovered that it can be intoxicating and addictive. We want more!

(And with our enjoyment of God as our passion, we will inevitably love and obey Him. Therefore, our obedience is not out of compulsion or a sense of duty - it's because we WANT to love and obey Him.)

Just listen to the Psalmist in the following 8 verses. As we listen to the prayer of King David, we hear a man who craved for His God unlike so much of the religion we see (and experience within ourselves). This is what God has intended for us to enjoy! And the more we enjoy Him, the more He invites us to enjoy more!

Psalm 63:1-6 (NLT)

1) O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land

where there is no water.

2) I have seen you in your sanctuary

and gazed upon your power and glory.

3) Your unfailing love is better than life itself;

how I praise you!

4) I will praise you as long as I live,

lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

5) You satisfy me more than the richest feast.

I will praise you with songs of joy.

6) I lie awake thinking of you,

meditating on you through the night.

7) Because you are my helper,

I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

8) I cling to you;

your strong right hand holds me securely.

Sermon (video): "Forgiveness: Lift Your Anchor and Set Sail" (Colossians 3:12-13)

Nancy Leigh DeMoss has said that forgiveness is the gift that everyone wants to receive but finds hard to give. As a pastor who has counseled many individuals and families in crisis, I believe that she is right. I further believer that our inability to forgive is at the root of much if not most of our problems.

This sermon elaborates on some of the truths embedded in Colossians 3:13 and seeks to point out the following:

1) most of us struggle with forgiving,
2) refusing to forgive is serious and has undesirable, personal consequences, and
3) some helpful principles that can enable us to forgive.

A desire to influence

I once read a quote by John Maxwell that went something like this: "With only one exception every person in the world is made up of others."

Well, most of us are not content to live our lives for ourselves. We believe in our ideas. We are also motivated by a desire to live a life that counts ... that leaves a positive imprint on as many others as possible. So, we look at the "others" around us and desire to influence them, to leave them better off for their encounter with us.

Well, if we look at Jesus' Great Commission and also look at that desire within most of us, we realize that our desire to influence others goes beautifully with Jesus' command to make disciples (followers of Jesus). God's Son calls us to play a part in influencing others to follow Him and grow in their conformity to His teachings.

One of the many ways we can do this is to blog. I love those times when it is just me and my computer. I have a thought that I would love to share with others regarding a Christian's perspective of a current event or a devotional thought on some passage of Scripture. So, I sit down and punch out my thoughts on the keyboard.

The potential influence we can have when we upload our thoughts to the web is mind-blowing. As a pastor, I've had the chance to regularly influence hundreds in my ministry. Yet as a blogger, I have had the opportunity to influence tens of thousands of others around the world. You can see from the inset how many times my blog has had a hit from the top ten countries that visit my site.

With the inset to the left, you see that you can blog about just about anything. My top post, "Symptoms of a Guilty Conscience" was written a couple of years ago as I reflected on the words of a lawyer in a murder trial and also upon some relevant stories in God's Word. The next most popular post, "Selling Our Florida House" simply reflected on the struggle my wife and I had with how God would resolve our nightmare-scenario situation of trying to get rid of a house that was VERY upside down. On and on, you see that I simply write about a lot of things and folks just like reading.


So, if I can do it, so can you. Why not consider starting a blog and putting your thoughts to print. People will read and you will influence. If you want to get into blogging, I'd love to help you get started. Just contact me at: mattellis1997@gmail.com.

See yourself as God sees you

Too many of us (I'm certainly included) base our self-worth on props that often cannot handle the weight. We base our value on what we've accomplished, where we've gone, what educational achievement(s) or degree(s) we've attained, how many heads turn when we walk into the room, how many "likes" our social media posts get, the size of our house or vehicles (compared to others, of course), how many people call to check on us when we miss a meeting or church, and so forth.

When we think about this token list, we come to at least two realizations:

1) most of us find our value in these sorts of superficial things and

2) all of them can be stripped away (or considered meaningless by those we desire to impress) almost immediately.

Is it wrong to crave to be valued? Of course not. God made us this way. All of us want to think that our one life matters and that it matters to more than just us.

So, is there a way that you and I can get a sense of value that cannot be taken away? ... that sufficiently satisfies that deep-down longing that every one of us has?

Absolutely! Just come to see yourself as God sees you! Read, study and, by faith, internalize the very words that God has said are true of you!

Just one such word from God to you is found in 1Peter 1:18-19. It tells you what price God paid so that you could be saved and brought into fellowship with Him. Talk about value!

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT)

"For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."

This is just one of the hundreds and hundreds of things that God has said are true of you if you have been saved. Do yourself a huge favor and look for and internalize God's truth.

One more thing: When we see ourselves as God sees us rather than coming up with our own set of "self-esteem props", we'll be filled with humility and gratitude to God rather than sinful pride. That's a good thing.

Sermon (video): "How Holy Must I Be?" (Matthew 7:24-27)

So, what does it mean to be saved? Can I trust in Jesus to save me and then just try to be as good as my Christian friends and peers? Or, can I get "saved" and then just live like I want?

In the Bible, we are told that someone who is truly saved will pursue holiness. While everyone will progress toward Christlikeness at a different pace and all are on varied points on the journey, each of those folks who are headed to Heaven will progressively become more like Jesus.

So, this sermon is a serious call to pursue holiness. It was preached at the Westside Baptist Church of Murray, Kentucky on Sunday morning, March 1, 2015.

To view this sermon click here.